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Water news you need to know

A collection of top water news from around California and the West compiled each weekday. Send any comments or article submissions to Foundation News & Publications Interim Director Doug Beeman

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Please Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing. Also, the headlines below are the original headlines used in the publication cited at the time they are posted here and do not reflect the stance of the Water Education Foundation, an impartial nonprofit that remains neutral.

Aquafornia news San Luis Obispo Tribune

SLO County fights order to release more water from Lopez Dam

San Luis Obispo County is fighting a judge’s order to release more water from Lopez Lake, citing concerns that the plan would jeopardize the county’s drinking water supply. In December, U.S. District Court Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett ordered the county to release more water from Lopez Dam to support steelhead trout migration through Arroyo Grande Creek. This plan must ensure that there is enough water in the creek to support steelhead trout traveling from the ocean to spawning habitat in the Arroyo Grande Creek Watershed, the judge said. The trout are designated as a threatened species by the Endangered Species Act.

Aquafornia news East Bay Municipal Utility District

News release: EBMUD takes steps to prevent golden mussels from infesting public water system

The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) announces the closure of boat launches at its reservoirs in the Sierra Nevada foothills until further notice to prevent the introduction of the highly invasive golden mussel into the public water system. The mussel has not been detected at EBMUD reservoirs, and this proactive measure is intended to protect the public water supply, infrastructure, recreation and natural resources. … The mussels, which can colonize over large areas in a matter of months, have already been discovered in the California Delta, prompting state and local water agencies to strengthen safeguards against their further spread. Numerous lakes within the state have also closed or restricted boat launches.

Related article:

Aquafornia news Voice of San Diego

Met water boss is officially out; what it means for San Diego

(Adel) Hagekhalil had pushed the CFO to assume a complex water deal would soon infuse it with cash and allow it to pass along lower water rate increases to its agencies – agencies including the San Diego County Water Authority. San Diego representatives had insisted on this and Hagekhalil was listening. Water rates are soaring with no end in sight and this decision kept them from soaring even more. This week, the board of the MWD decided to push him out officially after months of suspension. … Word is that the LA-San Diego-Imperial Valley water transfer deal may still go through, it just could take a while.

Aquafornia news Bloomberg Tax

California water agency can’t charge some users more than others

The California agency in charge of the state’s Coachella Canal failed to convince an appellate court to fully reverse a ruling that awarded non-agricultural customers at least $17 million for water-import charges that violated California’s constitution. The constitution requires taxes imposed by local government bodies such as the Coachella Valley Water District to get local approval. The water district failed to convince the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District that the charges it imposed were exempt from that rule because there was a rational basis to tax urban customers for the cost of importing more water. 

Aquafornia news Public Policy Institute of California

Blog: Sounds of hope in the High Sierra

Like many other freshwater wildlife species, amphibians have faced steep declines throughout California. Climate-fueled disasters are only increasing the stress on these creatures. As we saw after the recent Palisades fire, species rescue is becoming increasingly necessary. Fortunately, a team of agencies and a local university were able to rescue hundreds of endangered Tidewater Goby from a Malibu lagoon to protect them from toxic debris flows generated from the fire. Emergency actions like this are truly important—but they should be an action of last resort. One of the best ways to improve a species’ chance of survival is, quite simply, to make sure that they don’t become too isolated.

Aquafornia news Water Talk

Podcast: Engineering safer and cleaner water

A conversation with Nichole Morgan (civil engineer, California State Water Resources Control Board) about implementing programs and policies to steward water resources and infrastructure. Nichole Morgan was appointed as the civil engineer to the State Water Resources Control Board by Governor Gavin Newsom in June 2021. Ms. Morgan most recently served as an Assistant Deputy Director in the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Financial Assistance, where she worked on projects providing funding for drinking water, wastewater, storm water and groundwater infrastructure improvements.

Aquafornia news CalMatters

Monday Top of the Scroll: Newsom orders more water for farmers and towns

As downpours soak Northern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered state officials to capture and store more stormwater in San Joaquin Valley reservoirs for farmers and towns, and to “remove or minimize” any obstacles that stand in the way.  If that sounds familiar, it is: The governor issued similar orders two years ago, when he waived environmental laws to store more water as storms drenched the state and caused disastrous flooding. Months later, the Legislature and Newsom enacted a new law that smooths the way for such actions. 

Related articles:

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

California snowpack is below average, but storms could change that

After an extremely dry January, California’s snowpack in the Sierra Nevada now measures just 65% of the average for this time of year, but state water officials said two winter storms are expected to bring more snow and rain that will add to the state’s water supplies. State officials announced the below-average snowpack measurements as they carried out their monthly snow survey at Phillips Station near South Lake Tahoe. Fresh snow was falling as they drove a metal tube into the snow to measure its water content, adding to data collected across the Sierra range.

Other snow survey news:

Aquafornia news Politico

Trump says he opened California’s water. Local officials say he nearly flooded them.

President Donald Trump declared victory on Friday in his long-running water war with California, boasting he sent billions of gallons south — but local officials say they narrowly prevented him from possibly flooding farms. “Today, 1.6 billion gallons and, in 3 days, it will be 5.2 billion gallons. Everybody should be happy about this long fought Victory! I only wish they listened to me six years ago — There would have been no fire!” he said in a post on his social media site. Local officials had to talk the Army Corps of Engineers down after it abruptly alerted them Thursday afternoon it was about to increase flows from two reservoirs to maximum capacity — a move the agency said was in response to Trump directing the federal government to “maximize” water supplies.

Related articles:

Aquafornia news The Aspen Times

Future water conservation program almost guaranteed in Upper Basin

After years of studying and experimenting with pilot programs, the future of Colorado River management will almost certainly include a permanent water conservation program for the Upper Basin states.  Upper Basin officials have submitted refinements to their March 2024 plan for how water should be released from Lake Powell and Lake Mead as well as how shortages should be shared after the current guidelines expire in 2026. In it, they offer up the potential for up to 200,000 acre-feet per year of water conservation. 

Other Colorado River news:

Aquafornia news Courthouse News Service

California water district still on the hook for $17 million refund to consumers charged different rates

A California state appeals court upheld a $17 million decision Friday awarding refunds to customers of the Coachella Valley Water District after a panel of judges ruled the government utility agency unconstitutionally charged non-agricultural customers more than agricultural ones. In its 55-page ruling, a panel of judges of California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed a lower court decision in favor of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the nonprofit that brought the case. The court said that the difference in water rates violated state law because the rates are property taxes under the California constitution — taxes that were not approved by voters.

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

271 rare steelhead trout rescued from Palisades fire burn scar

Just over 270 Southern California steelhead trout were rescued last week from their last refuge in the Santa Monica Mountains. The rescue came about a week after hundreds of another type of endangered fish were liberated from the same watershed. The watershed, a biodiversity hot spot located in Malibu, was badly burned and may take a decade to fully recover.

Other wildfire and water news: 

Aquafornia news East Bay Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)

Santa Clara County accuses chemical giants of causing ‘forever chemicals’ crisis in drinking water

The legal action comes amid worldwide attention on PFAS, used widely to create products resistant to water, stains, and heat, including food packaging, non-stick pans, clothing, rain jackets, furniture, carpeting, plastic turf, paints, electronics products and a host of other goods. 

Related article:

Aquafornia news Inside Climate News

Moss Landing battery fire leads to health fears, evidence of contamination and concerns about overreaction

On Friday, (Monterey County’s health office) released preliminary data for testing of soil and water, which is separate from the testing done by San Jose State. … Water testing was done using samples from tanks for the local drinking water system. The results from a state-certified lab found that the levels of nickel, manganese, aluminum and copper “do not exceed the associated regulatory maximum contaminant level” and “are consistent with the historical data for each system,” the county said.

Related articles: 

Aquafornia news MendoFever

PG&E moves to dismantle Potter Valley Project predicting ‘adverse impacts’ to the Russian River

On January 31, 2025, PG&E released its Final Draft Application for Surrender of License for the Potter Valley Project (PVP), a hydroelectric facility that has historically diverted water from the Eel River to the Russian River watershed. The 2,086-page document outlines PG&E’s plans for decommissioning the century-old project and details the expected effects on Russian River water users, including agricultural, municipal, and recreational interests in Mendocino, Sonoma, and northern Marin counties. This summary highlights key takeaways relevant to the Russian River community.

Related article:

Aquafornia news Tuscon Sentinel

Bill would give rural Arizona communities a say in how groundwater is allocated

The Rural Groundwater Management Act of 2025 would allow rural Arizonans to create water management programs that would have decision-making authority over conservation programs. Those programs are meant to reduce groundwater use and improve aquifer conditions, according to a fact sheet provided by the Governor’s Office. Senate Bill 1425 also would create five-person councils in each water management program. … The act also provides funding for water conservation, with dedicated money to support voluntary water conservation, aquifer recharge and water reuse programs in rural areas.

Other Arizona water news: 

Aquafornia news Community Alliance (Fresno, Calif.)

Managing valley aquifers

As aquifers continue to decline in the southern San Joaquin Valley, farmers and town residents alike are struggling to come up with groundwater sustainability plans that the Department of Water Resources (DWR) will certify. Otherwise, the state will take over—a fate that nobody wants. Tulare County is a case in point. The plan that the Kaweah Sub-Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency came up with in 2022 failed to protect domestic wells and disadvantaged communities. Some 40% of domestic wells, more than 1,500 of them, could dry up under the plan. Fifty-three public supply wells would also go dry, and drinking water contamination could worsen. 

Other San Joaquin Valley water news:

Aquafornia news Letters About Water (Substack)

Video: Mouth of the Klamath River

(Barry McCovey Jr., fisheries department director for the Yurok tribe:) There can’t be Yurok people without the Klamath River. It’s woven into the fabric of our being. … The Klamath River was the main food source for the Yurok tribe in historic times, kind of pre-contact. So basically any time of year there would be a fresh run of fish coming into the river, whether it’s lamprey or smelt or salmon. There’s always some fresh source of protein coming into the river.

Aquafornia news California WaterBlog (Davis, Calif.)

Blog: Jimmy Carter and floodplain management

Many stories about President Carter will circulate in the coming weeks, but I wanted to briefly share his connection to flood management. One April 1, 1979, President Carter signed EO 12127, which established the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Carter recognized that the frequency of natural disasters was increasing and felt passionately that the role of government was to help those in need. … Before establishing FEMA, President Carter signed EO 11988 – the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). The Federal Register categorized EO 11988 as “Environmental Protection,” but the preamble of the groundbreaking order made it clear that Carter understood the order really was about future flood risk.

Aquafornia news Governor of California Press Release

AQUAFORNIA BREAKING NEWS: Gov. Newsom issues executive order to help California capture and store more water from upcoming severe storms

In anticipation of a multi-day, significant atmospheric river in Northern California, Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order that would make it easier to divert and store excess water from incoming winter storms. The Governor signed the order after he received a briefing on the latest forecast for the storm. The executive order also directs the Department of Water Resources and other state agencies to take action to maximize diversion of those excess flows to boost the state’s water storage in Northern California, including storage in San Luis Reservoir south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These actions will help California replenish above-ground and groundwater storage that remains depleted in many parts of the state following multi-year droughts.